Feeling Good?

People, it's a new dawn, a new day, a new Parliamentary session - are we all excited? Are we?

Woohoo.

Well, it looks like it's going to be slightly more interesting than last week (with all due respect to Brenda) as at least we get PMQs, but unfortunately the debates on the Address are still continuing in all their tedium.

However, as Westmonster knows real pain (she sat through the "Britain in the World" debate at Labour Party Conference this year) she's sure we'll all manage somehow. The future business is available here, edited highlights below.

Oral PQs

Monday - Children, Schools and Families
Tuesday - Health
Wednesday - Northern Ireland; Prime Minister
Thursday - Innovation, Universities, and Skills; Leader of the House (Business statement)

Important stuff

PMQs: will the Gord have calmed down from last week? Has the Boy David bought the statement that the comrades thought of the inheritance tax reforms first? Will Dennis Skinner feel suitably moved to intervene? Roll on Wednesday!
Defence and Foreign Affairs debate: okay, so it's a debate on the Address but with the rumours surrounding the departure of Lord Drayson last week it may be worth tuning in to see what the Tories and LibDems have to say about the issue.

May be of interest

Parliamentary watchdog: Sir Philip Mawer has previously announced he wouldn't be staying on as Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, so on Thursday there's a motion to approve a new appointment.

Getting there first (Early Day Motions)

All EDMs from the previous session are wiped when the House goes into prorogation, but as soon as the new one begins, there's a bit of an unseemly scrabble between some MPs to get their Motions down first - the prize is, of course, getting the magical number "1" next to your scribblings. Being first means that you are the coolest kid on the Estate. Fact.

This year's winner is Bob Russell MP who must have camped outside the Table Office all night to get down his seven EDMs down first, followed by Paul Flynn and James Paice comes in third. Gold stars all round!

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 11 Nov 2007 10:34 AM. Permalink